President Reuven Rivlin and Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi on Thursday warned French President Emmanuel Macron that Israel "won't hesitate to strike Lebanon" if Hezbollah continues its Iran-backed military expansion along Israeli border.
Rivlin and Kochavi are in France as part of their European tour in an effort to convince the EU countries to object to the International Criminal Court's investigation into alleged Israeli war crimes against the Palestinians.
During their meeting with Macron, the two spoke about a myriad of issues, including coronavirus, anti-Semitism and the threat Iran poses to regional peace, including the Israel-Lebanon border.
France, the former colonial power, has friendly relations with Lebanon and has often provided support to the Lebanese, most recently after a deadly blast at the Beirut port and amid the continued political turmoil in the country.
"Only a year ago we stood together in Jerusalem with dozens of other leaders from around the world," said Rivlin, who was received by guard of honor at the entrance to the Elysee Palace.
"Together we promised to continue to carry the torch of memory of the Holocaust and the fight against anti-Semitism, hatred and violence. The French leadership today, led by you, Mr. President, shows a real commitment both in the fight against anti-Semitism and in maintaining the well-being of the French Jewish communities living in its territory.”
The president said Jews were among those who pushed for the ICC to be established only to be punished by it for defensing the Jewish state.
“The pursuit of justice was and still is an essential characteristic of the State of Israel and Israeli society,” Rivlin said. “Driven by the horrors of the Holocaust, Jews and Israelis were among those who sought to establish the ICC, which, today, plays a key role in Israel's decision-making process.
“However, we will never apologize for the right and duty we have to protect our citizens from any threat. We have seen the damage that politicization has done to UN human rights bodies, and we are seeing the damage that is being done these days to the ICC, which has succumbed to political pressures.”
Rivlin also emphasized the threat posed by Iran’s nuclear program and its attempts to continue its military entrenchment in the Middle East.
"Such a vision, of partnership and peace, will only be achieved through resolute opposition to the extreme and aggressive line dictated by Iran through its nuclear intensification and support for terrorist organizations,” said Rivlin.
“We will not allow an Iranian entrenchment in Lebanon through Hezbollah. We have no territorial dispute or war with the Lebanese people, and we hope that our friends, including France, will continue to demand the Lebanese government take responsibility for the terrorist activities carried out in its territory.”
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French President Emmanuel Macron (R) and Israeli President Reuven Rivlin during a joint press conference
(Photo: EPA)
Macron spoke shortly after Rivlin, expressing his appreciation of Israel in general, and of President Rivlin in particular.
“The bond between us has only grown stronger from visit to visit, and I want to thank you for the personal connection and work we have done together,” said Macron. “I was with you only a year ago when we marked 75 years since the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. We are determined to continue to protect the memory of the Holocaust as well as the fight against anti-Semitism."
Macron also said France is trying to stabilize Lebanon, which he said he hopes will lead to normalization of ties with Israel.
“We must prevent the collapse of Lebanon and promote the formation of a government there. We [Macron and Rivlin] also talked about the normalization between Israel and certain Arab countries,” added Macron. "This raises great hope for the progress of the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.”
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French President Emmanuel Macron during a joint press conference with President Reuven Rivlin
(Photo: EPA)
Kochavi on his part briefed the French president on the Iranian threat and provided him with intelligence on the Islamic Republic’s military entrenchment in Syria and in Lebanon through the help of Hezbollah.
"From a security point of view, the Lebanese state has been captured by the terrorist organization - Hezbollah. It has lost control of its security policy,” said Kochavi. "Hezbollah currently has thousands of missiles and rockets located in the heart of the civilian population that can reach Israel. The IDF will do everything to prevent this”.
“We will not hesitate to attack with force any place where weapons and enemy or state-aided infrastructure are found,” said the chief of staff.